Email Louise Rimmer (IANSA Communications Officer) for the contact details for the organisers of these events.
Belarus
A survey about attitudes to gun violence was distributed to 70 schools by the Support Centre for Associations and Foundations (SCAF). Director Iouri Zagoumennov explained that that the survey is an effective way of bringing gun violence to the attention of all sectors in society, as parents are naturally interested in their children’s schoolwork. The findings will be shared during a national roundtable conference jointly organised by SCAF and UNDP in Minsk on 28 June.
Belgium
IANSA director Rebecca Peters and GRIP researcher Ilhan Berkol addressed a press conference at the Belgium Parliament, cautioning parliamentarians on proposals to weaken national gun laws. The conference was organised by the Amnesty International and Pax Christi. Parliamentarians from the Christian Democrats and Green political parties attended, alongside reporters from leading Belgian newspapers.
Croatia
UNDP Croatia has funded a renovation project in Vukovar, where local schoolchildren have been repainting a playground wall which was scarred by grenade marks from the war. Painting began on Monday 2 June and local community representatives and media are invited to an opening ceremony on Friday 6 June. Three young winners of an anti-gun drawing competition will also be presented with new laptops on Friday.
Denmark
Defend International (DI) held an open debate in Copenhagen to bring attention to the global arms trade and its impact on women. Danish author Lillian Simonsen talked of her encounters with Iraqi women affected by gun violence. DI’s President, Widad Akrawi, also spoke and answered questions about the work of IANSA and the Women’s Network.
Finland
The Asia-Europe People’s Forum organised a seminar on the arms trade between Europe and Asia in preparation for the ASEM Summit in Beijing . Members of the press were briefed on the tenth anniversary of the EU Code of Conduct and the need for legally binding regulations. A group of activists was arrested during a demonstration outside the arms manufacturer Patria (partly state-owned) on 4 June. The protesters had managed to obstruct the gates of the factory for two hours and were released by police later in the day.
The Peace Union Finland also appeared on a national TV discussion show criticising the Finnish Interior Minister for failing to strengthen gun control legislation, following a school shooting last November.
France
The PanAfrican Press Association published an article calling on the French government to make the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports legally binding during the French presidency of the EU. Participating NGO countries include Senegal, Chad, Uganda, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria, South Africa, Malawi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Ghana, working in partnership with Oxfam France.
Italy
The Italian Network for Disarmament received media coverage of their forthcoming events in two newspapers, Unimondo and Vita. The articles include a call for a stronger ATT, and the impact of small arms on the community.Media coverage included Unimondo and Vita.it.
Kosovo
* UNDP inaugural speech and media coverage
There has been high-level involvement in the WoA in Kosovo, involving representatives from government and the national UNDP office. An inaugural speech was delivered at the Office of the Prime Minister, which was attended by UNDP Kosovo and the Deputy Commissioner of the Kosovan Police. Wide media coverage has included mentions of the Week of Action in prime-time news on television stations RTK, TV 21 and Koha TV. Print and online press including Express, Info Press Telegrafi and Kosova Press have also published reports on the campaign.
* Roundtable conference school security
UNDP continued to mark the Week with a roundtable on 3 June to promote better security in schools. The meeting involved representatives from the Ministries of Education, Culture, Justice and Internal Affairs as well as members from civil society and the Kosovo Police Service. As a result, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Education that aims to apply a strategy for safer schools.
* Media conference
UNDP’s Week of Action activities continued with a roundtable conference for media representatives, which was covered again by RTV 21 and Koha TV.
* Public debates
Throughout the week public debates on gun violence have been held in the municipalities of Peja, Decan, Mitrovica and Skenderaj, organised by Kosovo Center for International Cooperation (KCIC). They will continue until Sunday. Participants have included police, local officials, judiciary and other civil society.
* SMS anti-gun slogan hits 500,000 mobile phones
Around half a million subscribers to the PTK mobile phone network received an SMS message on 4 June containing the Kosovan slogan for the Global Week of Action. UNDP organised a roundtable on small arms, gender and development on Friday 6, which was attended by gender advisers from the
Macedonia
* Press conference on the aims of the Week of Action
Journalists for Children and Women Rights and Protection of Environment in Macedonia (JCWE) held a press conference in Skopje to raise awareness on the week. JCWE President, Filip Spirovski, spoke about the impact of armed violence during the country’s recent electoral campaigns and the need for arms control. 11 journalists attended the conference and were also informed of the remainder of the week’s events hosted by JCWE.
* Roundtable on gun-free elections
Another event by Journalists for Children and Women Rights and Protection of Environment (JCWE): a roundtable on gun-free elections. Some 10 journalists and political analysts participated in the discussion and spoke of the violent impact of arms on past elections in Macedonia.
Russia
The PIR Centre in Russia researched and wrote a newspaper article focusing on the need for an international ATT. ‘Dictators and their guns’ highlights Russia’s past policies on the arms trade and argues that human rights should be central to these policies. The article has been published in the Security Index Journal.
Serbia
Women In Black Belgrade held a workshop on 3 June that focused on the relationship between patriarchy, militarism and gun violence in a post-conflict region. Participants showed active interest in organising future actions and campaigns on the issues raised during the event.
They later displayed the powerful Stop the Bullet video on a projector during a silent street demonstration in Republic Square on 6 June. The campaigners held placards and distributed information material about gun violence in Serbia.
Spain
Fundació per la Pau held a meeting in the Parliament of Catalunya on 2 June to discuss gun violence, arms control and parliamentary action. Members of the Catalan parliament as well as civil society representatives attended the session. Representatives of the Parliamentary Forum, Peter Weiderud, Hans Raidel and Celestino Suarez also gave presentations on how the Forum has attempted to combat gun violence. The meeting was transmitted live though the Parliament Channel and Catalonian TV station, TV3, interviewed all the participants for a programme regarding parliamentary activity. Com Radio also interviewed Eugeni Barquero on the morning of 3 June to learn more about the Week of Action and planned events. Media coverage included Disc@pnet.
The Stop the Bullet video was later broadcast across Catalonia thanks to Fundació per la Pau, who distributed the video to Barcelona TV and XCTV.
Sweden
SweFOR and Swedish Action Network on Small Arms (SANSA) held a seminar on the role of Swedish security companies in high-risk environments on 2 June. The seminar in Stockholm involved 20 participants from NGOs, the Red Cross and security companies. The event highlighted the lack of available information on the activities of such companies in regions of conflict. It also encouraged the government to monitor security companies more closely through dialogue and legislation.
Turkey
The UMUT Foundation has translated some of IANSA’s most useful materials into Turkish for the Week. The IANSA Global Gun Crisis Report and Women’s Network leaflet are both now available. The Umut Foundation has also published a report on the organisation’s events throughout the week.
Click here to download the Global Gun Crisis report in Turkish.
UK
* MAG article on arms proliferation
Mines Advisory Group (MAG) in the UK has published an article to promote the Week of Action. The article highlights the global impact of arms proliferation and how SALWs fall into civilian hands. It also calls attention to the efforts of MAG to reduce the threat of SALW in several countries.
* Women’s peace vigil
Women in Black and the IANSA Women’s Network held a vigil in London to highlight the impact of gun violence on women in the UK and worldwide. 40 letters were sent to Prime Minister Gordon Brown urging further strengthening of UK gun laws and the reduction of UK subsidies for small arms manufacture and sales, particularly to countries with poor human rights records.
* Thousands march against gun violence
2000 people marched through London on 7 June, campaigning against gun and knife crime. Demonstrators carried banners saying 'Spread love not bullets' and 'Say no to guns, knives and drugs'. The march received extensive media coverage, including the BBC.
Vatican
Senior policy advisor of Pax Christi International, Father Paul Lansu, appeared on Vatican Radio to discuss the goals of the Week of Action Against Gun Violence.
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